Customer Reviews
good honest read - By: woods, 03 Feb 2008 
Quite simply the best book on the subject of working class lads fighting for their team I've read. And I've read most of them. Not a Man city fan wrong colour rose for me, but a good read & very believeable. Was at a couple of games he mentioned though on the white rose side.
Not bad but I wouldnt go too far. - By: Gogol, 27 Oct 2007 
I guess this book should get a but more praise because it is one of the earlier 'hooligan' books but the simple fact of the matter is if you have read one you have read them alll.
Story begins with his childhood, born in rough working class area, dad used to slap him around, mum worked her guts out but both were the salt of the earth. Joined a firm, was a life long fan, police make an operation against the firm, court case goes on, gets sent down, comes out becomes a bouncer yeh you have just about read the same thing with just about every hooligan book around.
Still, this does have some things of interest. Francis is pretty honest with his many encounters with rival firms describing how he & his firm were not only turned over more than once but that on many occasions he had the living daylights kicked out of him. He is honest about his own firms use of knives & how other firms also used them recounting occasions when the City firm have slashed a few people. He is honest about the thieving that went on how they were far from the best dressed people around (in fact being honest enough to say they dressed like scruffs) Which is a damn site more honest than some of the books you will find out there with there obligatory chapter dedicated to nothing more than designer labels & myths about how they were such 'dresses' (Anyone seen the pictures in the Birmingham Zulus book? V-Neck jumpers with black suit jacket, yeh lads you were the height of fashion)
Mickey was a mixed race lad & is not daft enough to think that racism didn't exist on the terraces. He more than once tells us how his firm fought City firms who were NF & some of the racist abuse that the Cool Cats received in Liverpool (From both Liverpool & Everton) Leeds, Millwalll & Chelsea & even more so the shock value a mixed race firm received in places like Newcastle & Leeds.
Not a bad read, you will probably get through it in about an hour at best.
Cool Cats - By: bluemoonboy, 22 Oct 2007 I travelled with MCFC in the 70's & 80's & with The Cool Cats a few times. The coaches used to pick up under Piccadilly Station at Store Street & Donald would pull guys off the train to join the coaches he laid on. Nice SHOPPING trips using bin liners as bags lol. I lived next door to Donald too for a short while in Openshaw.
The Mickey Mouser is right.....at some games we didnt take many, especiallly to Liverpool/Everton as it was full of scum with stanley knives. They alll knew Donald & The Cool Cats too & targeted him.
We did travel in numbers though quite a lot but most were just normals, not fighters.
I was very close to the Nottingham Petrol Station Robbery & was even arrested by mistake lol
CTID. What happened to the good old days....
the best soccer hooligan book - by the greatest soccer hooligan! - By: M. Oldham, 22 Sep 2006 As a footballl team, MCFC may have been overshadowed regulary by the arguably more famous team they share this city with, but their hooligan gang, the Guvnors, always had masses of fame (or notoriety, depending how you look at it) & made sure that Manchester City were always on the map.
Brilliantly written, you can feel like you are in the thick of it. I am not a violent lad by any means, however reading this book reallly makes you want to go out there on the rampage, it is so full of excitement & adrenalin.
Apart from the footballl aspect, Mike (or Micky as he is known) tells some great stories about his upbringing in Moss Side, & his life in between the matches, & also the direction he has since followed, as a consultant, door security firm boss, & high profile businessman.
Micky Francis, although not a guy to cross, evidently has a good attitude to life & is a highly intelligent man.
The book was written back in 1997 & as I understand it he has since gone from strength to strength & is now enjoying well deserved success. He remains respected far & wide, & his determination & self belief should be an example to us alll.
great! - By: , 28 Oct 2004 it reallly tells you a good & truthful story of the hooliganism of footballl. The bloke doesn't like footballl though!
